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The Magazine for spa and wellness in Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America​

Spa Apothecary

In recent years there has been a great interest in spas that offer services that are more focused on the specific needs of each client. This has resulted in an exciting world that allows us to explore our alchemical sense and which we now know as spa apothecary. It seeks to take our clients to a true well-being experience where each of their needs will be met with treatments and personalized products. These use natural ingredients –such as vegetable and mineral materials– in their different presentations to create natural handmade products.

For the success of this ambitious project it is necessary to have the maximum amount of raw material that allows us to create as many combinations as possible. Likewise, we need a perfectly trained staff in the areas of cosmetology, aromatherapy and herbalism.

What would be the primary ingredients?

The first element to mention is aromatherapy. Due to its virtues, essential oils are the main ingredients in each creation. It is paramount to have a great diversity of these, ranging from floral, herbal and citrus oils to resins, seeds and bark. Within this section it is very important to mention the hydrolates, since by being more subtle – but equally powerful– they allow aromatherapy to combine with water soluble ingredients.

With the oils and butters, it is equally important to be able to have a carrier to mix the essential oils with other liposoluble ingredients. There are a minimum of ten different oil variants for the face, body and hair, such as sesame, almonds, shea, jojoba, argan, rosehip, marigold and avocado, among others. All these elements will help to create massage oils, creams, butters and balms.

A wide variety of clays and muds are very useful inside the apothecary spa to make various face, hair and body masks.

We will also need dehydrated plants and flowers, such as lavender, chamomile and lemon tea that will be used to make infusions, exfoliants and poultices.

One constituent that should not be missing for its great detoxifying benefits are the salts. The ones that draw my attention to their great properties for health and beauty are the salts of the Himalayas and the Dead Sea. We will use them mainly for purifying baths.

In this interesting alchemy, I love to integrate elements of ancestral medicines. Ayurveda reveals the great benefits of some spices, flours and starches, which allow the creation of amazing performance masks.

To create exfoliants I like to use Walnut shell and apricot kernel for their practicality and excellent results. These can be applied over the face and the body combining them with some honey or oils.

A spa apothecary with all these features will allow you to meet diverse needs. From sunburns to a complete facial program, as well as endless treatments to generate sales by service. It also provides the opportunity to create products for home use, so increasing our retail sales.

Spa apothecary is a extremely extensive topic. It can be deepened as much as one wishes because it converges different trends, both ancient and modern in an environment of health and well-being. For me, it is a pleasure to be able to give you a small introduction of this interesting alternative, and I am hoping to see more and more spas joining this positive trend.

Sara Jones
Author: Sara Jones